12 to Watch - John and Michelle Savard

Sunday

Jan 5, 2014 at 8:00 AM

These stories aren't just about what they have done – they are about what they hope to accomplish.

By Gareth McGrathGareth.McGrath@StarNewsOnline.com

The StarNews set out to find 10 noteworthy people who might be high achievers in 2014.We settled on 12.The honorees are all risk-takers. At the start of a new year, these stories are about what they have done – and what they hope to accomplish.

Biographical information is available at the end of this article.Three years ago, graduating into one of the worst job markets since the Great Depression, John and Michelle Savard decided to take the obvious path.The young couple decided to open their own business. A beer business, no less.And Wilmington Homebrew Supply was born.Now, in the space of a few short months, they'll have taken two more plunges.The first was getting married in late November. The second is to take their home brew business to the next level and move into a much bigger space in early spring, adding a new name – Wilmington Brewing Company – and new amenities like a tap room along the way."Blindly opening a home brew shop was scary," John said. "But this, this ... it's terrifyingly exciting."Having tapped an underserved market in their hometown when they opened their Port City shop, the newlyweds feel confident they can brew up enough business to make their new endeavor work."This time, it's not a blank canvas," John said from the cramped quarters of their current location near Kerr and Wrightsville avenues, the small shop stuffed with hops, brewing equipment, recipe kits and – naturally – beer. "We're a known quantity."John was bitten by the beer-brewing bug while still a student at the University of North Carolina at Asheville when one of his friends decided to do some home brewing. Michelle, also a student at UNC-Asheville, soon started her own love affair after trying one of John's homemade alcoholic creations.The entrepreneurs, both in their mid-20s, see their age as an asset – even though some people initially wince at the idea of taking advice from someone so young.John said they've certainly made some mistakes along the way, but the couple see their youthful exuberance as helping them navigate everything from launching a new enterprise in a horrible economy – "We just thought, 'Why not? We can do this.' " – to navigating the web of government regulations involved in setting up any new business, especially one serving alcohol.Now, they're poised to become one of the key players in Wilmington's booming craft beer community when they move a few blocks up South Kerr to an 11,000-square-foot space."The main thing that's made it successful is that we love it, and we love our customers," Michelle said. "We just like sharing all of this with them."

Michelle SavardAge: 24Family: John Peck (father) Christina Norvell (sister) Heather Pike (sister)Job: Co-owner and founder of Wilmington Homebrew Supply and the coming addition: Wilmington Brewing CompanyHometown: Wilmington, NCLatest book read: Brewing Up a Business: Adventures in Beer from the Founder of Dogfish Head Craft BreweryOn Saturday, you'll find me: At the homebrew shop of course!Favorite way to unwind: Walking our dog, Otis, or drinking a beer on the front porch with John.What motivates you: Opening a business with John has really motivated me to learn new things each and every day.Typical day: A typical day for me would be working at the shop, checking things off the list for our brewery opening and always meeting and talking with interesting and different people.Place to relax in Wilmington: Out on the back patio of Wilmington Wine.Hobbies: I enjoy yoga, surfing, snowboarding, and participating in a sprint triathlon each year.What famous person, living or dead, would you like to spend a day with, and how would you spend it? Julia Child so I could learn how to really cook. John would probably appreciate this as well considering how bad dinner was last night. :)

John SavardAge: 25)Family: Christopher Savard (father) Frances Rudolph (mother) Emily Savard (sister)Job: Co-owner and founder of Wilmington Homebrew Supply and the coming addition: Wilmington Brewing CompanyHometown: Wilmington, NCLatest book read: Farmhouse Ales by Phil MarkowskiOn Saturday, you'll find me: Brewing beer with friends at the shop and showing soon-to-be homebrewers the ins and outs of the brewing processes with our weekly demo. Favorite way to unwind: Drinking beer and grilling out with friends and family.What motivates you: I'm motivated by my goal to always love my job. To accomplish this, it takes an extreme amount of hard work, but working hard at something that I love will always be worth it. Typical day: Riding bikes to get coffee with my wife, then making beer dreams come true.Place to relax in Wilmington: Anywhere I can sit in a beach chair and drink a beer.Hobbies: Surfing, golfing, snowboarding and, of course, brewing beer.What famous person, living or dead, would you like to spend a day with, and how would you spend it? Jamil Zainasheff, and we would brew a double IPA and name it "The Two Best Friends."